Author: billkralovec

I attend a 120-minute Complete Yoga Class at the Vikasa Yoga Center every morning. These are the first in-person classes I’ve taken and I want to improve my postures (asanas) and skills. I’ve already learned a few new positions and the assistant comes by and adjusts me body occasionally during the class. She said “I had a solid practice” for only practicing with an online class. The woman leading the class today was a striking, tall, Australian with great flexibility and strength, an inspiration for me! Yesterday’s class was also good with the added twist of instructor singing. I learned a seated frog pose. I think being a man with a higher center of gravity I couldn’t get as low as I could. It felt great for my back. Today I did a backward bow with my head still on the ground for the first time. I am not sure if I can get to look like the pictures below.

I’ve noticed that there are very few men that practice yoga. I always thought it was boring until I reached my mid-50s. Now I see the benefits of it and want to continue building my flexibility, balance, and strength. Thailand is a Buddhist country but yoga is Indian and I noticed a statue of Ganesha at the front of the yoga studio. He is the “remover of obstacles” so hopefully he can help me push through my tight body to become even more flexible and strong.

Going out for my yoga class every morning gives me a chance to see a bit of the island. I met the taxi driver Ai on my first day. She was telling me about her life. She works every day from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM driving a cab. Her husband also drives a taxi. They are here on Samui earning more money than in their home village. Ai’s daughter is living with her grandmother in the home village. She is looking forward to returning to her hometown next month for a festival. It must be tough to be away from your daughter. I feel fortunate that my job allows me to spend a lot of time with my kids.

Ocean, Nadia and I decided that we needed a bit of R&R and are spending the first week of Spring Break in Thailand. This is my fourth visit to Thailand, and it will be the first time I have seen the country outside of Bangkok. My previous visits were work-related and didn’t get much opportunity to be a tourist. We are staying on the island of Koh Samui (Koh means “island” in the Thai language). 

It was a rough first day of the holiday for me. I had a persistent headache for most of the day. I usually can rid myself of headaches by taking Advil and a nap. This one persisted. Ocean and Nadia were so sweet taking care of me and helping me through the airport. I slept for an hour while waiting for our flight and slept pretty well on the flight. I am writing this as we are about to land in Bangkok. The Uzbekistan Airways flight was comfortable. Ocean and I had window/aisle seats together and Nadia had a window/aisle to herself. It is a direct flight of approximately 5 hours and Bangkok is two hours ahead of Tashkent. 

Despite the headache, I did take Obi out for two walks. The weather was absolutely spectacular with the cherry and apricot trees in bloom, blue skies, and a cool breeze. To think we had snow just a couple of weeks ago seems so long ago with temperatures hitting 80F today. I also wrapped up a couple of issues at school, inspected the campus, and finished my packing. I am missing the NCAA Tournament games today which is disappointing but traveling with family is better. I think we all needed to get out of the city for a while. I am excited to see more of Thailand, and tropical weather, hone my yoga skills, and most importantly, relax and spend time with Ocean and Nadia. 

We made it to Samui by 10:30 and were on the beach before 12:00 noon on Friday!

Eva Dou, a Washington Post Technology Policy Reporter did an excellent job of researching and telling the history of Huawei. Many Chinese companies are coming into Tashkent, including Huawei and I was interested in learning more about the company. The story focuses on the founder, Ren Zhengfei. His father was a teacher and university professor siding with the Nationalists (losing side). He rose up through the military and when China opened to capitalism, he and his engineering friends developed telephone switches in the new economic zone of Shenzen. It was interesting reading about Chinese business practices that mirror the government. For example, periodically did a “mass-resignation ceremony” in which all employees wrote a summary of their work and then a written resignation. He would accept six of the 26 sales branch chiefs and turned over 30% of sales staff. These purges mirrored the Chinese Communist Party’s purges. Huawei made a lot of money in the sanctioned and downtrodden nations of the world which engineers sympathized with because of China’s economic troubles. It is incredible the amount of work the engineers and salespeople put in to make it a successful global company.

The company is lock step with the government and so the United States can’t allow their business to thrive in the USA and with American allies. I don’t own any Huawei products and I admire their organization for starting from nothing and building a multinational corporation. I would like to visit Shenzen and Shanghai someday. I’ve only been to Hong Kong and Macao, but not the southern mainland.

New Vocabulary

• caryatids – female sculpture forming a pillar
• Bouyei – the 1oth largest ethnic group in China; mostly farmers and business people southern China plains; 3.5 million people
• Gang of Four – Maoist political faction composed of 4 communist leaders; responsible for the disastrous Cultural Revolution (1966-76)
• guanxi – personal connections; how a lot of business gets done in China and it includes heavy rounds of drinking and lavish gifts

We had a nice long weekend in Tashkent due to the International Women’s Day bank holiday. It is a big deal in Eastern Europe due to the legacy of the Soviet’s promotion of women in the workforce. I think it was a good influence in Central Asia. Ocean and I got out on Monday afternoon to enjoy the spring weather for a bike ride along the Ankhor Canal. A little slice of heaven for me, spending time with her doing one of my favorite activities. Of course we had to make a stop at Maison de gout, a store near the canal that sells imported goods. Ocean picked up a bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and some instant Kraft Mac n’ Cheese.

Saturday evening, Nadia and I went out on a “double date” for dinner at one of her favorite restaurants in the city, Syrovanya (Cheese Factory—сыроварня), with Ocean and her boyfriend. We had a delightful dinner and parted ways afterward. They went out with friends while Nadia and I headed home to watch a movie. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday night.

My friend Aaron and I also had our weekly session at the Russian banya in town, The бани (The Baths). At the top of the hour, one of the attendants takes a fan and waves hot air on all of the guys in the sauna. You can see the schedule above the middle; every hour, a different essential oil is put over the wood to help good health. My favorite is mint (мята) in Russian. We made the 14:00 (garlic – чеснок) and 16:00 (пижма – Tansy) which is an invasive weed in Michigan, but is native to Europe and Asia. It has long been used for medicinal purposes. Research shows moving between extreme heat and extream cold is good for the body. As you can see in the photo above to the left, after the sauna, we jumped in the 13C and 18C water pools and tried to stay in for 5 minutes.

It was a great relaxing weekend and much needed recuperation and family time. Really looking forward to a two-week Spring Break!

Muslims celebrate the holy month of Ramadan (Ramazon in Uzbek) based on the lunar calendar so it moves by approximately 10 days annually. This year it started on March 1 and ends on March 30. The city’s vibe definitely changes because people are more active at night. There is less traffic and fewer people in the grocery store, which I like. On my nightly walks with my dog Obi, I notice the mosques are always full to listen to the reading of the Koran. The Al Badr Mosque right behind the school was standing-room-only and men were praying outside. You can see the shoe racks to the left. Police cordoned off the street and were keeping a close watch on people walking through, including me. They never bothered me, but they were keeping an eye on me.

Above is a view from the rooftop restaurant of the Grand Mir Hotel. The busy roundabout is at the intersection of Mirabad Avenue, Shota Rosevelit Avenue, and Shakrisabz Street. We are scouting locations for the accommodation of new teachers when they arrive in August. The Grand Mir is a historic hotel. Built in 1960 and named the Hotel Russia, today it is a 4-star hotel in a prime location in the city.

Hopefully, we have had our last snowfall of the year. We received several inches of snow on Sunday and Monday this week. It was a lighter snow than the previous storm, so no downed trees. Temperatures remained cold for a few days until the sun melted the snow by the end of the week. I was careful walking on the icy sidewalks going to a dentist appointment (photo right), and the snow enhanced the view from The House Garden (left) at school.

My son Owen shot a short video of driving in Marquette, Michigan. The Upper Peninsula usually gets a lot of snow and it reminds me of my childhood. Thanks for sending it Owen!

The weather has been bouncing back and forth between winter and spring this week. On Wednesday, Tashkent received a heavy, wet snow of several inches. Many tree branches came down all over the city, including on our campus. Fortunately, the snow fell overnight, and the big branches were already down by the time the students and teachers got to school. The maintenance team did a good job of securing the area under the trees that were at risk of more branches falling and clearing away the downed branches. The physics behind this natural phenomenon fascinates me. Can an arborist look at a tree and identify which branches are susceptible to cracking with the extra weight of snow on them? I had a very busy day at school and I wasn’t able to enjoy the snow much, but I did snap a few photos in the morning below of damaged trees on our campus.

Much of the snow had melted and dried by Wednesday evening. I forget that we live in a desert climate and standing water on the roads evaporated within a couple of hours. By the time Friday rolled around, almost all of the snow was melted, and temperatures reached 10 Celcius. I even saw a Red Admiral Butterfly on campus. More snow is forecasted for Sunday evening and into Monday morning.

On Thursday, I chaperoned the Grade 9 Ski Day at the Amirsoy Resort. The fresh snow made all of the runs fantastic to ski on! The resort has struggled with small amounts of snow on the top half of the mountain where they do not have snow-making equipment. I was in charge of an intermediate/advanced group of skiers, and we went down every run at the resort. It was my sixth day of skiing this season, and I felt great! There are a lot of good Instagram Reels teaching skiing techniques, and I’ve been using these tips to improve my form. I am a much more confident skiier than I was at the beginning of the season. I might try to go one more time next weekend,d but it looks to be 16C on Friday. Has the weather always been this topsy-turvy, or is it climate change?

The highlight on Friday was the Maslenitsa (масленица – in Russian) celebration at school. The Russian community put on a really nice celebration after school on Friday. Maslenitsa is celebrated in Eastern Slavic cultures and is the oldest surviving, pre-Christian Slavic holiday. It takes place the week before Orthodox Christian Lent. It is viewed as the last chance to celebrate and eat whatever you want before believers start to take their Lenten sacrifices. Activities include eating Russian pancakes (блины), which is a rich food full of eggs, milk, and butter, all of which are forbidden during Lent. They also have dancing, outdoor activities like sledding and skating, etc. The culimination of the week is burning of an effigy of the Maiden Maslenitsa. People forgive each other for wrongs during the year and exchange presents. I had a big laugh dancing with a folkloric dance troupe of older women from the Russian Cultural Center. I hope to get some pictures this week to post. I love being able to celebrate and learn about my Slavic heritage (I am 73% Polish/Ukrainian DNA) living here in Tashkent. I also love that this is the most wintry place I’ve lived in my long international school career. Although it is not as a strong winter as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which I am happy about.

I read my first Robert Harris book during the flights to and from Astana, the great historical fiction writer. I ran upon his book upon chance. Maybe with the movie the Oscar-nominated Conclave (based on Harris’s book) on Netflix, the book was being promoted in my digital library. I loved it and couldn’t put it down on my travel day on Wednesday. 

Munich refers to the Munich Agreement between England, France, and Nazi Germany right before the start of World War II. Harris has always been fascinated by the negotiations that took place between Hitler and British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. Harris did a ton of research and it shows with his realistic depiction of what took place. The novel is based on two characters, one a British diplomat and speech writer for Chamberlain and the other, a German diplomat that is part of a furtive dissident group within the German government. The two are old friends from their time at Oxford University. 

Prior to reading the book, I only remembered that Chamberlain gave in to all of Hitler’s demands and in the end, Hitler did what he wanted anyway. My perception was Chamberlain was a fool and Churchill the wise politician who saw Hitler for what he was: a crazy, violent leader that was intent on taking over Europe. Harris’s account paints a more nuanced picture. Chamberlain was trying to avoid the next World War and knew that these negotiations would ultimately avoid war, but he felt it was worth it because of the delay. Chamberlain at the time was feted for his diplomatic efforts and any politician should be looked on positively who is working for peace. 

New Words / Good Quotes

• Pompeiian Red – a hue close to red ochre that was commonly used in ancient Roman paintings and is abundant in the murals of Pompeii. 
• Corvine – crow-like
• Adjutant – an executive assistant for a military officer
• Saturnine – gloomy
• Avuncular – like an uncle
• Peevish – ill-tempered, ready to fight

“the power of unreason” – A speech by the German diplomat from what he learned being inside the government during Hitler’s rise. People thought Hitler was not all bad and all of the anti-Jewish rhetoric in Mein Kampf would pass. At Oxford he learned the “power of reason” but working for the Nazis, he learned the “power of unreason”

“You see gentlemen, it is the same in every country; ordinary people the world over want nothing more than to live their lives in peace, to cherish their children and their families, and to enjoy the fruits that nature, art, and science have to offer them. THAT is what I wish to say to Hitler.” 

It was a good technique to use someone close to the historical moment but not one of the main characters to tell this story. It makes the reader feel like a fly on the wall. 

Nadia and I also watched Conclave. I loved it! We were both raised in strong Catholic families and are familiar with priests and bishops. Ralph Fiennes was excellent as the managing cardinal.

I love having a lifestyle that allows me to travel to new places several times per year. I also enjoy novel experiences and Astana certainly fits that bill. It is distinct due to the absolute flatness of the treeless steppe, the newness of the city (since 1997) and the Siberian air currents bringing cold temperatures and high winds making it the second coldest capital in the world. Growing up in the upper Great Lakes region in Michigan, walking outside here reminds me of my childhood, with the frozen sidewalks, snow, and biting cold. It differs however with Michigan having hills and valleys and lots of trees. The flat grid structure of the city combined with mostly high rise buildings would be a bit monotonous after a while. However, for a short visit, it is great and a refreshing change from Tashkent.

Impressions of Astana and Kazakhstan

• The Kazakhs love dry heat! Every place we go to, restaurants, hotel, school, I have to take off my hoodie because I start sweating. We turned off the radiator in our room from 5 to 0 to keep it a tolerable level of heat. It is similar to the USA in the summer regards to air conditioning. I complain that I need to wear a sweater in the summer because of the strong AC.
• The Kazakhs are not a friendly and open as the Uzbeks are to foreigners and as a culture in general. They were not rude, just not as friendly and expressive.
• Lots of people walk outside despite the cold temps and icy sidewalks.
• Kazakhstan is about 5x richer than Uzbekistan and you can see with its development and sophistication. I noticed more Chinese businessmen in the hotel and around the city than I see in Tashkent. One person commented that the country sold its soul to the Russians and Chinese in developing their petroleum industry.

I really enjoyed the week in Astana and it makes me want to explore Central Asia even more. It was a nostalgic trip for me. Experiencing a bitterly cold, snowy, icy winter is what I grew up with.

One of the highlights of the trip to Astana, Kazakhstan, was attending the FIBA Asia Cup (Saudi Arabia – 2025) Qualifier basketball game between Kazakhstan and Qatar. Qatar qualified for the Asia Cup by defeated Kazakhstan 92-71. It was a fascinating game. I knew Qatar gives citizenship to athletes to supplement their international sports teams. It makes sense with their big pot of money and few Qatari athletes. The men’s basketball team had two Americans, Tyler Harris, a 6-10 center who played for the Auburn Tigers, graduating in 2016. The other was point guard Mike Lewis, who played his college basketball at Duquesne, a mid-major university in Pittsburgh. They were the class of the game, being a clear tier above everyone else and they combined for 33 points. Qatar completed its roster with Montenegrin, Bosnian and some Afro-Qatar players. All of them seem to play or have played in the QBL (Qatar Basketball League). Qatar did have a local on the team, the 5-8 point guard was Qatari and he was pretty good. They were up by 24 points when we left late in the third quarterKazakhstan had 4 or 5 “bigs” but they were all pretty mechanical. I was surprised by the many mistakes and sloppy play by both teams. Qatar seemed to be working on their younger players, especially a big center that looked like Zion Williamson. There was a pretty good crowd and oil money paid for a beautiful, modern arena. I was left wondering how much the foreign players get paid by the Qatar government to represent their country. The team was led by a Morrocan coach. 

For the first time in my life I saw three consecutive 5-second violations. Kazakhstan couldn’t inbound in time and turned the ball over. Then Qatar did the same thing so it went back to Kazakhstan. Again, a 5-second violation gave the ball back to Qatar. Finally, Qatar inbounded the ball and play continues. It was indicative of the level of game play for the evening. I was highly entertained however and will try to see how the teams do in the Asia Cup! 

We had fun walking to the game from our hotel on the icy sidewalks. The students chose to eat at Burger King; adolescents love fast food, and the BK franchise has not come to Uzbekistan yet, neither McDonalds or Starbucks.

This is my first time visiting the capital city of Kazakhstan, Astana. The city is known for its cold temperatures. It is the second-coldest national capital in the world after Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, due to its position in the middle of the very flat, semi-arid steppe region. At 51 degrees north latitude, it would be equivalent to the north side of Lake Superior. Ottawa, Canada used to be number two before the capital of Kazakhstan was moved from Almaty to Astana. The city is in the path of the northwest Siberian winds, hence, the dry, cold, long winters.

It is also famous for its name changes. Named “Akmola” (white grave) in 1850, later it changed to Akmolinsk to Russianize it a bit. USSR President Nikita Khrushchev renamed it Tselinograd (City of Virgin Lands) in 1961 because it was in the center of a region the Soviets were developing for agriculture. After Kazakhstan’s independence, it went back to Akmola in 1991. In 1997 it was named “Astana” which means capital city in Kazakh because the president moved the capital from Almaty to Astana. In 2019 it changed again to Nur Sultan after the outgoing president, but in 2022, the new president reverted back to Astana. So that is 6 name changes in 150 years!

My daughter Ocean plays on the varsity girls basketball team and so it is nice to see her occasionally on the trip. The first two days, the boys and girls are at different schools.

My initial impressions of Astana is that it feels like my childhood growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan regarding the ice and snow. It is a little bit soulless with straight stress and highrise apartment buildings. It reminds me of the newer cities of China.